The Effect Of Hateful Ideas On College Campuses

Where do we draw the line as to who is allowed to speak and who isn’t? How do we decide whose opinions are worth hearing and whose should be dismissed? And at what point does an opposing viewpoint become hate speech? These are questions that can’t easily be answered, but, with rising political tensions, need to be.
When imaging the type of person who would be invited to speak at colleges, most would picture a professional, knowledgeable in their studies, and able to back up their opinions with facts. This, unfortunately, is not always the case. More and more speakers invited to campuses now are individuals who are focused on spreading hateful ideas that result in the alienation of student groups and cause a disruption to the learning environment. These speakers who choose to use their influence to promote the spread of misinformation or attempt
Milo Yiannopoulos’ tendency to say whatever will create the most outrage and attention is dangerous to have at institutions that promote open-mindedness and learning. Not only do the things he says cause violent reactions, like the shooting at the University of Washington or the riot at Berkeley, but it also encourages an “us versus them” mentality throughout the campuses. The “us” being Milo’s supporters, a predominantly white and male group, and the “them” being the groups they direct their hate to, feminist, LGBTQ, and minorities. Beth McMurtrie mentions in her article “How to Promote Free Speech Without Alienating Students?,” that after being labeled as a “radical professor” by Yiannopoulos, Valerie Johnson of DePaul University “received a barrage of hateful messages” from Milo’s supporters. Colleges should be supporting inclusiveness, not allowing someone like Milo to further fuel the